Page 18 of Under His Protection

“The fuck –” Cole stammers.

I gasp, my body frozen in shock. I’ve seen Alexander’s rage before, but this is different. This is raw, unfiltered, a violent explosion that came out of nowhere.

“What the hell, Alexander?” I scream.

He turns toward me, his face contorted with anger. “You shouldn’t have brought him here,” he sneers. “He hurt you, Ava. He laid his fuckin’ dirty hands on you. I don’t trust him.”

He is right. It was stupid to bring Cole. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Alexander turns away, his shoulders slumped, his back to me as if I were nothing but a stranger.

My hand instinctively reaches out, tracing the cut’s jagged line on his knuckles. The blood, already drying, is a dark stain against his skin. He doesn’t flinch, his expression unreadable, but there’s a tension in his jaw, a tightness that suggests a deeper wound beneath the surface.

I turn to Cole, who's rubbing his jaw and grimacing. Isaac has helped him to his feet. 'Are you okay?' I ask, my voice trembling.

“I’m fine,” he says.

I look over at Alexander. I can see the dark circles under his eyes and know he’s losing himself. He needs help, but he’s pushing everyone away.

His once glacial blue eyes, the eyes I fell in love with, are now haunted, filled with a desperation that breaks my heart. He’s lost, spiraling down a dark vortex, and I feel helpless, unable to pull him back from the abyss.

“Alexander,” I call.

“Spare your pity, Ava, I’m fine,” he says and scurries off towards his office at the docks. He doesn’t look back. His words are a slap, but it’s the way he walks away without a glance that truly stings. I swallow the lump in my throat, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. I turn to leave the docks, the cold air biting at my skin.

Whatever, I tell myself, knowing it’s a big fat lie.

The rest of the night is a blur of activity. Isaac helps Cole into his apartment. The sight of a plaster the size of a dinner plate on Cole’s face, branding him with tonight’s violence, makes me flinch. I notice how Isaac handles the situation with practiced ease. He’s truly Mendel’s protégé. Even in the chaos, he seems to be in control, like a silent guardian.

Just like Mendel used to do.

Later, I’m alone in the back of the car, and the only sound is the silent hum of the engine. My head throbs and the city lights blur as Isaac drives me to my apartment. I’m exhausted, drained to the bone, and my mind is a tangled mess of growing dread.

Back at my apartment, the city lights outside my window seem mocking. I sink into my bed; the soft fabric feels good against my skin. I close my eyes, but my body refuses to drift off to sleep. Or so I think. When I open my eyes again, I’m startled. How long have I slept?

The city lights outside my window are now a blurry-drenched mess. I’m sprawled on my bed, my phone clutched in my hand, a lifeline to the world I’m trying to disconnect from. My bedroom feels like a cocoon, my tiny space a haven, but it’s not enough to silence my over-active mind.

My phone vibrates. It’s Alexander. The message reads, ‘You’re right. I’m a monster.’ The words are a punch to the gut, a confirmation of my worst fears.

I’m lost. I don’t know what to believe anymore. Every promise he made, every touch, feels like a lie.

My fingers tremble as I look up Sarah’s number, a desperate need to talk, to share the chaos inside my head. But just as I’m about to hit the call button, my phone rings.

It’s him.

My fingers hover over the green icon before swiping up and answering.

“Ava,” he says, his voice a rough rasp that makes my heart ache. “I need to talk to you. I’m so sorry, Ava. I’m so sorry for everything.”

His words are a whirlwind of remorse, his confession hitting me like a tidal wave.

I close my eyes, and the image of us together appears. I want to believe him, to forgive him. But the truth is too raw, too real. It’s a gaping wound that refuses to heal, a bleeding scar on my soul.

“I’m so sorry, Ava. I don’t know what to say. You were right. I was a monster. I was just— I don’t know— I made so many mistakes, and I’ve paid the price for them.”

He pauses, his voice a low murmur. “It’s not just the accident. I was involved in so much more, things I don’t want to talk about. Things I regret. But it’s too late now. I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost you.”

I want to give him a chance, but I just can’t. Instead, a cold emptiness settles in my chest, a hollow ache where love used to be.

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